Video: Ben Simmons high school highlightsAustralia native was the 2014-15 MaxPreps National Player of the Year.Ben Simmons became the first former MaxPreps National Player of the Year to go No. 1 in the NBA Draft on Thursday night since Greg Oden was taken with the top pick in 2007.
The Philadelphia 76ers are pinning their hopes on the 6-foot-9 forward, who spent a year at LSU after winning MaxPreps POY at
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) following the 2014-15 season.
Simmons' arrival at Montverde Academy in 2013 signaled the beginning of one of the most successful runs in high school basketball history.
With Simmons on the floor, the Orlando-area program accumulated a record of 62-1, captured three Dick's Nationals crowns and earned national championship recognition from multiple media outlets three years in a row.
As a senior at Montverde Academy, the new 76er tallied 27.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as the Eagles went 31-1 and finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally by MaxPreps.
Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Graphic by Ryan Escobar
